Shie tiitg top fob



UNITED STATESPATENT OFF HoMEEH. DIKEMAN,` or NEW HAvEN, CONNECTICUT, AssiGNoE 'ro IRAQ, IKEMANe son 1 oEsxMEPLAoE.

SHENIINGt TOP FOR WAGONS. i

specification of Leftersratent N. 26,547, `eared necemberamiew. l

To all whom fit may concern:

. Be it known that I, I-IOMER H. DIKEMN,

and useful Improvement in Shifting Tops for Market-Wagons, &c.; and I do hereby declare that thefollowingis a full, clear, and exact description of the constructiom character and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, `which make part of this specification, in

Which- Figure 1, is a, perspective view of the box of a wagon'with the top on, butwith a part of the cover cut away to show the jointed bows, railing, &c. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the box, with the top packed in it ready to be tted for transportation. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of one of the jointed bows, partially folded. Fig. f1, is a perspective View of the inner side of one of the side, or curtain, rails.

My improvement consists inl making the bows to sustain the cover of the common market wagon, (or other wagon analogous to it,) with hinge, or knee, joints;and in attaching the side, or curtain, rails tothe bows in such a manner, by screw-bolts and nuts, that the top can be readily removed, (by taking it apart,) and attached to another wagon, or stored away `when not needed or packed in the box, for transportation, in such a manner as to cost no more for freight than an ordinary wagon without a top.

I make the box, A, &c. in the usual form,

or otherwise, with staple, or clasp, a, a, &c.

to receive the lower ends of the bows, as

in the usual way, except that I make a hinge,

or knee, joint in each leg of each bow, as

shown at d, d, &c. in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to enable me to fold up the bows for packing, as represented, in Fig. 2, and, that I make holes through them, on both sides, as shown at c, and e, Figs. 2, and `3, to receive the screw-bolts, o, c, &c. attach to the side, or curtain, rails, D.

To the front, and rear, bows, b', and b', I attach broad end rails, as represented at, B, and C, Fig. 1, (and indicated at C, Fig. 2,)` to which, and the front, and rear, bows, I secure the ends `of the topcover, F, as indicated at B, and C, Fig. 1.

I make the side, or curtain, rails, substantially, as represented` 13.3.:` To theserails Ifirmly Secura, (in any\con-f vement way,) screw-bo lts.asrepresented.at`

l and rear, bows, o',

0, c, &c. Fig.` 4, 'foibe PaSSedthrough@` tlle holes, c, and c, ineacli ofthe bows.

fit them with knobs,"or buttons,` as show When I desire tofuse thetoppI "placeallf, the bows, except the front andrear, in" the l staples, a, a, Sac.` I `thenainsertlthefront, l,

and f bl', with the "topi cover, F, attached as before stated, carrying j .l the top-cover over the otherlbows. `Thed j hinge, orknee, joints arelmadelrigidbyv spreading the lower ends, or .legs`,lof`fthe L bows to conform to the staples. I thenfconj nect the side rails, D, (witlrthefsidefcur- 11 tains, C, &c. attached, was shownjinl Figs@` and 4,) by passing the `screwfboltgo, through the holes e, ande, inthe bowsfb l f and b, and o', and b', andlturningonjnuts, 1 j" as at c, and c, Fig. 1,` (nutstolbefworkedbyl j hand would be preferable.) Ifthen button the side edges ofthe to`p,cover, F, toqthel knobs, or buttons, as shown at f, gte."when` u the whole willbe ready `forlusaasa covered( wagon, as indicatedin Figifl. f H

To remove the top, I unbuttonthe edges of the top-cover,-tu`rnoff thenuts,andres"` move the side rails,` (withthelcurtains" and then lift out the "front, ,and rear, bows, and remove them` with thetopcover,"and` `j then take out the other `1bows,,wher1l ith? wagon will be readylto usewithout atop."` j

When I desire to `packl `the :wagonfor transportation, I place alltheparts of the]` top in the box, as represented `in `Fig.`2,"an`d secure them there Withcrossboards, or other#` 1 wise.

If I do not design to ack theparts ofthe` top in the wagon box or transportatiomIi omit the joints in the legs of the bows, but t. attach the rails, D, &c in the` manner before V1 f, .l l described. And if all the bows `should be `10 attached to the top-cover,` when t the,` side:` rails, D, are removed the coverand bowscan l I` `1 .1 be packed in the same space as ,thegbows f without the cover, whether thebows be made l with or without joints. l* l` 195" The advantages of my improvementcon-fy sist in the ease withywhichfthe `101i can be! ff attached to or removed from, `theyvfagoli;,--f` as the parts, `when separate, aresollight, d thatV they can be handled, seasily, by any 1.119@

person, and the most of the labor is to turn l 0E some eight nuts from the screw-bolts; (whether the legs of the bows have joints or not,)-and, in that, the top, (when the joints are used,) can be packed in the box of the wagon, and thereby save at least one half of the expense of transportation,-and, in that, this kind of shifting top is applicable to a great variety of uses,-as for common sleighs, and wagons, Where the change is so frequently required that no other would be used,and for traveling wagons in new parts of the country, &c.

I am aware that shifting tops for carriages have been used when the calash top has been attached to the seat; or, if attached to the body of the carriage, then by removing the slat irons from their supports, and

the joint bars from their lower top props and that the rockaway top has been attached by standard, or supports, screwed into sockets secured tothe box, as described inV J. C. Kimballs patent dated, Sept. 13, 1859. I, therefore, do not claim either of these as my invention :-but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- is- The shifting side, or curtain, rail in coinbination with the jointed bows, when the whole is constructed, connected, and made to serve the purposes designed, substantially, as herein described.

HMER H. DIKEMAN.

Witnesses:

f JOHN LUNTz,

R. FITZGERALD. 

